Filling spout assembly for solid materials

ABSTRACT

A filling spout assembly for filling bags with air-fluidized particulate solids comprising an air evacuation tube concentrically and slideably mounted within the filling spout and passing through the bottom of the solids hopper; a circular valve mounted on the air evacuation tube to open and close the filling spout to the flow of solids. The preferred embodiment includes a sealing means, also mounted on the air evacuation tube, for sealing off the flow of air into the filling spout while the valve is in its forward position during the filling of the bag.

United States Patent [1 Thomson 1 FILLING SPOUT ASSEMBLY FOR SOLID MATERIALS [75] Inventor: Ely Knox Thomson, Houston, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Continental Carbon Company,

Houston, Tex.

22 Filed: Apr. 10, 1974 211 App]. No.: 459,771

[52] US. Cl. 222/193, 141/10 [51] Int. Cl. B67d 5/54 [58] Field of Search 222/193, 55, 334; 221/278;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,083,780 4/1963 Swenson 222/55 X 3,258,041 6/1966 Lau 3,269,428 8/1966 Stockel et al. 141/10 Feb. 11, 1975 3,619,011 11/1971 Doble 222/193 X Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Assistant Examiner-Norman L. Stack, Jr.

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jerry B. Peterson [57] ABSTRACT A filling spout assembly for filling bags with airfluidized particulate solids comprising an air evacuation tube concentrically and slideably mounted within the filling spout and passing through the bottom of the solids hopper; a circular valve mounted on the air evacuation tube to open and close the filling spout to the flow of solids. The preferred embodiment includes a sealing means, also mounted on the air evacuation tube, for sealing off the flow of air into the filling spout while the valve is in its forward position during the filling of the bag.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB! 1 I975 SHEET 1 BF 2 PMENTEU 1 W5 SHEET 2 [IF 2 FILLING SPOUT ASSEMBLY FOR SOLID MATERIALS BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates to the art of dispensing particulate solids, and more specifically to a filling spout assembly for dispensing such materials into bags. Still more specifically, the assembly is adapted for an airflow packer for filling valve bags and is designed so as to minimize spillage of particulate solids and dust.

2. Description ofthe Prior Art Over the years a variety of different methods and apparatuses have been developed for filling valve type bags. Presently, there are apparatuses in use which merely require the operator to place the bag in a proper receiving position and initiate the filling, whereupon the rest of the fillingcycle is accomplished automatically. The automatic portion of the cycle includes such sequential steps as: locking of the bag in position, feeding of a predetermined amount of material into the bag, cessation of the flow of material upon attaining said predetermined deposition, clearing the filling spout of any substance retained therein, releasing of the bag, tucking in of the valve portion of the bag and ejection of the bag onto a conveyor. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,780 and the automatic weighing device therefor as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,595.

The type of packers contemplated for use in the practice of this invention are employed for filling-a variety offinely divided substances. As examples of typical materials that can be packaged by such means there are: hydrated lime, talc silica flour, titanium dioxide, cement, refractory mixes, fertilizers, carbon black, resinous molding powders and the like. From the above enumounted within the filling spout andpassing through the bottom of the solids hopper; a circular valve mounted on the air evacuation tubeto open and close the filling spout to the flow of solids. The preferred embodiment includes a sealing means, also mounted on the air evacuation tube, for sealing off the flow of air into the filling spout while the valve is in its forward position during the filling of the bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side-elevational view, partly in section, of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG.

FIG. 3'is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS inner diameter of tube 1.

Tube 3 is slideably mounted within the assembly.

7 When the packer is at rest, valve 5 is in the position meration it can be readily appreciated that it is very desirable, particularly from the standpoint of health considerations, that the filling operation be a clean one; that is, that there is substantially no escape to the atmosphere of the material being filled and also that there is no spillage from the spout after the filling operation.

As will be seen hereinbelow, our invention provides beneficial results in these regards.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,328 discloses a filling spout assembly designed to overcome the problem of spillage of solids and fines; however, the assembly of that patent is deficient in that no meansis provided to prevent the fallout of residual material or dust from the filling spout at the end of the filling operation when the bag is discharged from the filling spout.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The principal object of this invention is to provide a clean cutoff of flow of the solid material, when the bag has reached the desired weight, in a manner such as to prevent spillage of solids from the end of the filling spout after removal of the filled bag and prior to placement of the next bag-on the spout.

Another object of the invention is to permit more precise and accurate filling of bags to proper weight.

Another object is to minimize the escape of fines (dust) into the atmosphere surrounding the packer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is a filling spout assembly for filling shown in dotted lines. After a valve bag is placed upon filling spout tube 1, the filling cycle is initiated, and valve 5 moves to the open" position, shown in solid lines, by means of actuating air cylinder 7 as hereinafter described.

During the filling operation, the particulate solids, partially fluidized by air, flow from hopper 9 through filling tube 1 into the bag. The bottom of the hopper is preferably inclined as shown. The particulate solids are partially fluidized by low-pressure air supplied through an air passageway defined by tube 10, tube 11, slot 12, air space 13 and a perforated solids support such as screen 17. Optionally, a felt pad 15 may be included in place of or in addition to screen 17.

During the filling operation, air is evacuated from the bag through air evacuation tube 3 (open at 3a) connected to a vacuum source (not shown) via flexible tube 19.

The reciprocal motion of air evacuation tube 3 is actuated'by piston 8, which in turn is actuated by air supplied through tube 21 or tube 22 depending upon the position of four-way valve 24.

During the filling operation, air from tube 10 is substantially prevented from entering the annulus between tubes 1 and 3 by means of a seal between annular sealing ring 26 and the corresponding tapered forward face 27 of valve or sealing means 29. It can be seen that this seal is upstream of filling spout l, and in FIG. 1, downstream of the above-mentioned air passageway.

bags with air-fluidized particulate solids comprising an air evacuation tube concentrically and slideably Valve or sealing means 29 is preferably a universaljoint joining two sections of tube 3 to provide the flexibility necessary to obviate the difficulties which would otherwise result in maintaining alignment of tube 3 throughout the length of the assembly.

Tube 3 can be centrally supported within tube 1 by any convenient means such as a wire 35 affixed to the inner surface of tube 1. Other support means will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

Plate 18 is welded to tube 11 and is apertured to allow tube 3 to slide therethrough.

At the end of the filling operation, four-way valve 24 is actuated in the opposite direction, thus causing airevacuating tube 3 to move toward the left (FIG. 1) so that valve will shut off the flow of solids. Immediately facilitate its movement through tube 1. The angle of inis not critical and, for example, can be about 30-60 from vertical, most preferably about 45. The trailing upper edge 5a acts as a scrapper to prevent buildup of solids on the wall of tube 1. The forward edge 5b acts in cooperation with the bag to form a pocket to minimize backflow of solids into the air evacuation tube 3.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the sequence of operation of the assembly can be initiated manually or it can be integrated into the overall operation of a packer assembly (for example, the packer assembly of US. Pat. No. 3,083,780). While I have thus described the preferred embodiments of the present invention, many variations will be suggested to those skilled in the art. For example, the bottom of the hopper need not be inclined. Also, the perforated solid support could be constructed as an interliner to the vertical sidewall of the hopper, in which case the fluidizing air would be supplied from the side rather than from the bottom and the air evacuation tube would pass through the sides rather than the-bot a conduit for supplying low-pressure air to said air space through an air passageway;

an open-ended tubular filling spout in communication with said opening;

an air evacuation tube concentrically and slideably mounted within said spout and passing through said opening;

a valve mounted on said evacuation tube, the outer circular diameter of said valve slideably conforming to the inside diameter of said filling spout;

means for sliding said evacuation tube and valve from a first position in which said valve closes the end of said filling spout to a second position in which said valve opens the end of said spout and for sliding said tube and valve from said second position back to said first position. 1

2. The combination of claim 1 additionally including:

sealing means, mounted on the outside of said air evacuation tube upstream of said filling spout;

an annular sealing ring, centrally apertured for passage of said air evacuation tube theret'hrough, designed and adapted to form a seal with said sealing means when said air evacuation tube is in its forward position, so as to prevent air from passing into the annulus between said air evacuation tube and said filling spout.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the bottom of said hopper is inclined downwardly toward said opening and said air evacuation tube passes through said bottom.

4. The combination of claim 2 in which the bottom of said hopper is inclined downwardly toward said opening and said air evacuation tube passes through said bottom; and in which said sealing means is downstream of said air passageway.

uation tube to slide through said aperture. 

1. A filling spout assembly comprising a hopper leading to an opening for particulate solids; the bottom of said hopper being equipped with a perforated solids support with an air space between said bottom and said support; a conduit for supplying low-pressure air to said air space through an air passageway; an open-ended tubular filling spout in communication with said opening; an air evacuation tube concentrically and slideably mounted within said spout and passing through said opening; a valve mounted on said evacuation tube, the outer circular diameter of said valve slideably conforming to the inside diameter of said filling spout; means for sliding said evacuation tube and valve from a first position in which said valve closes the end of said filling spout to a second position in which said valve opens the end of said spout and for sliding said tube and valve from said second position back to said first position.
 2. The combination of claim 1 additionally including: sealing means, mounted on the outside of said air evacuation tube upstream of said filling spout; an annular sealing ring, centrally apertured for passage of said air evacuation tube therethrough, designed and adapted to form a seal with said sealing means when said air evacuation tube is in its forward position, so as to prevent air from passing into the annulus between said air evacuation tube and said filling spout.
 3. The combination of claim 1 in which the bottom of said hopper is inclined downwardly toward said opening and said air evacuation tube passes through said bottom.
 4. The combination of claim 2 in which the bottom of said hopper is inclined downwardly toward said opening and said air evacuation tube passes through said bottom; and in which said sealing means is downstream of said air passageway.
 5. The combination of claim 3 additionally including an apertured plate in the bottom of said hopper, said plate being designed and adapted to allow said air evacuation tube to slide through said aperture.
 6. The combination of claim 4 additionally including an apertured plate in the bottom of said hopper, said plate being designed and adapted to allow said air evacuation tube to slide through said aperture. 